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SEOUL/WASHINGTON - During the sixth round of six-party talks, North Korea and the United States reached a separate agreement aimed at removing the North from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism by the end of this year. The U.S. is known to have started the 45-day procedure required to remove it from the list. In addition, North Korea agreed to allow nuclear experts, led by the United States, to clarify suspicions over a uranium enrichment program for the first time.

A senior diplomatic source who is familiar with North Korea-U.S. relations said on October 4, “Though a publicized six-party agreement didn’t contain an exact date for when the U.S. will remove North Korea from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, there is a separate agreement that confirms the timing. And the timing is the end of this year, the same deadline for North Korea to disable its nuclear programs.”

Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, the U.S. chief negotiator to the six-party talks, also admitted that a series of “side understandings” which serve to clarify the substance of the agreement were reached during the latest round of talks, the Washington Post reported. Such forms of compromise appear to have facilitated the settlement of the final agreement between the six nations involved in the talks: North and South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States.

In a teleconference with journalists, Hill said the U.S. government will start consulting with the Congress to remove North Korea from the list of state sponsors of terrorism beginning on October 4. North Korea and the U.S. will hold a series of talks next week to discuss the specifics of removing Pyongyang from the terrorism list, Hill said. He added that both nations have a clear understanding of the issue and the U.S. is willing to move swiftly.

In addition, North Korea will allow nuclear experts to examine aluminum tubes, a source of speculation over the uranium enrichment program, another diplomatic source said on the same day. “North Korea acknowledged it imported the aluminum tubes in August from Russia,” the source said. “During the latest round of six-party talks in Beijing last month, North Korea expressed its will to allow the nuclear experts to examine the tubes.”

Citing Hill, the Washington Post reported that North Korea promised to make a satisfactory explanation over the suspicions on its uranium enrichment program. If North Korea has a uranium enrichment facility, it would also be a subject of disablement, the report said.

Under the second-stage agreement on the North’s denuclearization, a team of experts will visit North Korea as early as next week. “The team’s visit to North Korea may take place next week and various measures for denuclearization are expected,” said a high-ranking South Korean government official.

As part of first step for the disablement, Hill said North Korea will soon get rid of nuclear fuel rods from the 5-megawatt reactor at Yongbyon. Hill confirmed that North Korea is expected to reveal the extent of its plutonium production, including efforts in 2003 and 2005 that gave it enough fissile material for as many at 10 weapons, according to the Washington Post.

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